Dogs have eaten people’s leftover food for thousands of years, so it should really not be that revolutionary to create food suited to us both. Yet, though many people prepare food for their dogs with ingredients they also plan to eat, commercial products that aim to serve both species are far from common.

There are exceptions, though. Mark Brooks developed YaffBars[4]—energy bars for people and dogs—by combining his two main loves of French cooking and dogs. He wanted to make a bar that tasted good for people and was safe and delicious for dogs, too. His first approach involved making a dog biscuit that people could also eat, but his daughter’s refusal to partake convinced him to change his tactic. He worked on making a good product for humans that they could also share with their dogs.

The goal was to create a product that outdoorsy dog guardians could share with their dogs when out on excursions. He wanted them to be healthy as well as to provide energy for active individuals.

YaffBars are made from ingredients that are not bad for dogs like many ingredients in human treats such as flour, butter, sugar and chocolate. Instead, Brooks used puffed rice, cranberries, brown rice syrup, honey, carob and almonds. There are three flavors of YaffBars: blueberry carob, honey almond cranberry and banana peanut butter.